Editorial

Changes in US administrations, whether they occur quadrennially or extend a full eight years, only have an atmospherics’ impact on foreign relations but seldom, if ever, on foreign policy. At least, that appears to be the case from the time Ronald W. Reagan assumed the presidency (1981) and, more obviously, since Mikhail (Herod Antipas) Gorbachev gifted to (Salome) America the Soviet Union on a silver platter a decade later, as the head of baptismal communism in the western world.

During his national security speech last Monday, December 18th Trump introduced his administration’s new “America First” national security strategy in a surprisingly unaccustomed calm and calculated mannerism that is uncharacteristic of him. Although it seemed that he was well coached, yet, he couldn’t escape his narcissistic tendency and kept denunciating previous administrations while praising his own.

It is not easy to write anything new about President Trump’s 6 December 2017 announcement that he - and supposedly the U.S. as a nation - was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. After all, plenty of very smart and attentive people have already commented on this decision. I particularly like those who pointed out that Trump's move replicated that of Arthur Balfour.

For some of us who had an upbringing in traditional, conservative homes, and who first registered to vote as members of the Republican Party, conservatism is a sad memory of old: arcane economic-sociopolitical liturgy, just like that of the Latin Mass.

On December 6th in front of a Christmas tree American president Trump gave Israeli Zionist Jews; anti-Christians, who still brag about murdering Jesus and routinely insult every Christian priest in Jerusalem, an early Christmas present when he officially recognized Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel and declared his intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.